AthlonSports.com - Bristolhttp://athlonsports.com/category/miscellaneous/bristol
enLogano and Hamlin: Old teammates, new NASCAR rivalry?http://athlonsports.com/nascar/logano-and-hamlin-old-teammates-new-nascar-rivalry
<div class="field field-name-field-template field-type-list-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Two Right Sidebar Images</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-teaser field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">&lt;p&gt;
Through the Gears: Four things we learned in the Food City 500 at Bristol.&lt;/p&gt;
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>
There’s nothing about a rough start to the NASCAR season a short track can’t fix. During a thrilling weekend in Bristol, the sport had a near-photo finish in Saturday’s Nationwide race (remember this name: Kyle Larson) and several thrilling moments during Sunday’s big show. After plenty of criticism — from a driver’s $25,000 fine to fans railing about Daytona’s single-file 500 — it’s hard to find anyone complaining about the action in Thunder Valley. But honestly, when’s the last time fans left a short track feeling they threw their hard-earned money down the toilet?</p>
<p>
It certainly wasn’t last spring at Martinsville, when the <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.tricities.com/news/local/article_71e8b810-806e-11e2-8674-0019bb30f31a.html" target="_blank">Clint Bowyer – Jeff Gordon feud officially began</a>. Or last fall at Richmond, where Gordon’s epic charge to second knocked Kyle Busch out of the Chase. My point? These three speedways, even in the worst of times, make fans flock to them faster than this Sunday’s two-mile tedium, otherwise known as Auto Club Speedway ever will.</p>
<p>
With all that said …</p>
<p>
<br />
<span style="font-size:18px;"><strong>FIRST GEAR: Bristol’s back. So why is the attendance still awful?</strong></span><br />
The number of empty seats at Bristol, one year after Bruton Smith’s latest reconfiguration recommended by <em>the fans themselves</em>, was an eye-opener. A track which once sold out for 55 consecutive Cup races, from 1982-2009, had chasms full of unsold tickets noticeable both at the track and on television. (NASCAR no longer releases official attendance). Considering Bristol has over 160,000 seats, even 50 percent capacity is more than a sellout at Martinsville, Darlington or other facilities which don’t even have that much room in the stands. But it’s also highly disturbing considering its “crown jewel” reputation as one of the sport’s must-see events.</p>
<p>
It’s a shame, considering Sunday offered the perfect mix of Bristol’s magic elixir: unpredictability. 110 laps before the finish, leader Jeff Gordon blew a tire and took out himself and second-place Matt Kenseth, changing the complexion of the race. The personal fireworks were also there, in the form of a budding rivalry between Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano (see below). Record speeds combined with a healthy 17 lead changes mixed side-by-side action with the on-track rubbing still needed at times to get by other competitors.</p>
<p>
Two theories abound here. One: fans, skeptical of the sport and the Gen-6 car chose to stay home, sending a message that both drivers and track need to be worthy of their cash. (The night race, in August and closer to NASCAR’s Chase, draws better.) But the more likely scenario surrounds a disturbing amount of price gouging still prevalent within the region. Lodging that typically would be $100 or less a night during a typical weekend went for four-, five-, even six-times that.</p>
<p>
No amount of ticket price discount can fix that hit to a blue-collar fan’s wallet. That’s especially true considering the track’s location, so close to many other fine facilities. If you’re a fan from Charleston, S.C., for example, why spend $1,000 on lodging, plus mileage when you’ve got Talladega, Atlanta and Charlotte within a similar driving distance — for half the price.</p>
<p>
The economy always makes an argument here; in smaller markets, the races are the only major event hitting the region, meaning hotels have to maximize profits in order to survive. But the TriCities unemployment rate, along with job creation, <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.tricities.com/news/local/article_71e8b810-806e-11e2-8674-0019bb30f31a.html" target="_blank">has generally been stronger than the national average</a>. Add in Smith’s billions and there’s no excuse to get this problem fixed, even though he’s powerful enough (see: getting the state of Kentucky to custom build roads for his speedway in Sparta).</p>
<p>
Looks like its time for Smith to flex some muscle again. Otherwise, it’ll be years (if ever) before his most prized possession fills up to capacity.</p>
<p>
<br />
<span style="font-size:18px;"><strong>SECOND GEAR: Hendrick’s third wheel pushing for first-rate attention</strong></span><br />
Kasey Kahne’s Bristol success, while continuing a sizzling 2013 start, was a bit of a shock. Even after Sunday, his highest career average finish at any short track is Richmond, with a mediocre 18.0. That’s also the location of his last win at an oval this small, scoring his first Cup victory there in May 2005 before bookending his victory total with a 1.7-second, cruise-control performance down the stretch on Sunday.</p>
<p>
“This is a big race for me,” he said Sunday after scooting ahead of Brad Keselowski on the final restart. “Bristol’s one of those tracks that as a driver, you really feel like you need to win at. It’s a big confidence builder.”</p>
<p>
So is his habit of qualifying up front — a 3.5-place average start leads all drivers, along with 223 laps led in 2013. But most importantly, he’s not digging the type of 2012 hole that expended almost all this team’s energy simply to make last year’s Chase. Instead, he’s showcasing the type of versatility (second at Las Vegas, first at Bristol, one of the favorites at Daytona before wrecking out) that one needs to take home a title in this sport.</p>
<p>
To do it, Kahne would have to leapfrog Johnson within the organization, a feat once thought impossible. But keep in mind, head wrench Kenny Francis — not from the Hendrick mold — can step outside the box of Chad Knaus. Those at HMS were impressed with the ideas he brought to the table in ’12 and many credit them for the organization’s resurgence. Francis, working out of a different shop, won’t have to play nice as consistently this fall and has the better pit crew, Johnson’s Achilles Heel, in each of the last two seasons.</p>
<p>
Will it happen? I’ll still believe it when I see it. But four races in, Kahne has started making a case.<br />
</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-68 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Miscellaneous:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/nascar">NASCAR</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/bristol">Bristol</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/food-city-500">Food City 500</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/tom-bowles">Tom Bowles</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-66 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">NASCAR Drivers:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/jimmie-johnson">Jimmie Johnson</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/denny-hamlin">Denny Hamlin</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/tony-stewart">Tony Stewart</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/kasey-kahne">Kasey Kahne</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/paul-menard">Paul Menard</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/brad-keselowski">Brad Keselowski</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/danica-patrick">Danica Patrick</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/joey-logano">Joey Logano</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/ricky-stenhouse-jr">Ricky Stenhouse Jr.</a></div></div></div>Mon, 18 Mar 2013 21:59:20 +0000Athlon Sports20588 at http://athlonsports.comFantasy NASCAR Picks for the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedwayhttp://athlonsports.com/nascar/fantasy-nascar-picks-food-city-500-bristol-motor-speedway
<div class="field field-name-field-template field-type-list-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Two Right Sidebar Images</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-teaser field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">&lt;p&gt;
Dustin Long ranks each driver on the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit for this weekend&#039;s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.&lt;/p&gt;
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>
The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://bit.ly/WwxOnL" target="_blank">2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup</a>&nbsp;circuit rolls on to one of its most anticipated stops of spring for the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. To help guide you through the 2013 Fantasy NASCAR season, Athlon Sports contributor Dustin Long will be offering his best predictions for each race. And because&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://racing.fantasysports.yahoo.com/auto" target="_blank">Yahoo's Fantasy Auto Racing</a>&nbsp;game is arguably the most popular, he’ll break down the picks according to its NASCAR driver classes — A-List, B-List, C-List.</p>
<p>
So, without further ado, Dustin's fantasy predictions for Bristol, ranked according to each driver's likelihood of taking the checkered flag — or at least finishing toward the front:</p>
<p>
<br />
<span style="color:#800000;"><strong><span style="font-size: 18px; ">A-List</span></strong></span><br />
<strong>1. Jimmie Johnson</strong><br />
Hottest driver on the circuit. Johnson has an average running position of 4.2, best in the season’s first three races, and has the best average finishing position (3.0) in the series. Also, he has four consecutive top 10s at Bristol, most among active drivers.</p>
<p>
<strong>2. Brad Keselowski</strong><br />
Not too far behind Johnson in the fast start category (average finish of 3.7) and heads to a track in Bristol where he’s won two of the last three races.</p>
<p>
<strong>3. Matt Kenseth</strong><br />
Has led a series-high 128 laps this season with 86 of those coming in the Daytona 500. His 25th-place finish in the Bristol night race in August broke a string of six consecutive top-10 finishes there. He’s led in each of the last three Bristol races.</p>
<p>
<strong>4. Denny Hamlin</strong><br />
Won the Bristol night race in August, leading 70 laps. Has two top-10 finishes in his last three starts there.</p>
<p>
<strong>5. Kasey Kahne</strong><br />
Has best average start this season (4.0) on the circuit. Has three top-10 finishes in last five races at Bristol and led 42 laps there in the night race.</p>
<p>
<strong>6. Clint Bowyer</strong><br />
Scored a pair of top-10 finishes last year at Bristol. Best finish so far this season is a sixth at Phoenix.</p>
<p>
<strong>7. Jeff Gordon</strong><br />
Has been passed 44 more times under green than he’s passed this season and has an average start of 5.7 but average finish of 18.0 in 2013. Has not a had a top-10 finish in the spring Bristol race in the past three years.</p>
<p>
<strong>8. Tony Stewart</strong><br />
Has not finished better than 14th in his last five Bristol races. Seems to be typical Tony where he starts the season slow (his best finish so far is an eighth at Phoenix).</p>
<p>
<strong>9. Kevin Harvick</strong><br />
Harvick has an average running position of 16.6 in the first three races of this season. Has one top-10 finish in last eight races at Bristol.<br />
</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-68 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Miscellaneous:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/bristol">Bristol</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/food-city-500">Food City 500</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/fantasy-nascar-picks">Fantasy NASCAR picks</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-66 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">NASCAR Drivers:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/kyle-busch">Kyle Busch</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/dale-earnhardt-jr">Dale Earnhardt Jr.</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/jimmie-johnson">Jimmie Johnson</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/denny-hamlin">Denny Hamlin</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/tony-stewart">Tony Stewart</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/matt-kenseth">Matt Kenseth</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/brad-keselowski">Brad Keselowski</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/danica-patrick">Danica Patrick</a></div></div></div>Wed, 13 Mar 2013 16:56:50 +0000Athlon Sports20519 at http://athlonsports.com7 Amazing NASCAR Stats for Bristol Motor Speedwayhttp://athlonsports.com/nascar/7-amazing-nascar-stats-bristol-motor-speedway
<div class="field field-name-field-template field-type-list-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Two Right Sidebar Images</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-teaser field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">&lt;p&gt;
Seven amazing NASCAR stats for Sunday&#039;s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.&lt;/p&gt;
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>
Bristol Motor Speedway received a re-tooling of sorts following last spring’s race, so there will be a bevy of unknowns this weekend when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series takes to the high-banked half-mile oval.</p>
<p>
What <em>is </em>known is that three races are in the books and two of the usual suspects, Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski, are running on all cylinders as others — and you’ll read of one below — are experiencing early-season struggles. We also know what we were able to learn from the Bristol race last August, an exciting caution flag-fueled event that paid dividends to those that had the ability to either move through the field or retain track position.</p>
<p>
For PEER and other metrics in the following article with which you may be unfamiliar, I refer you to my&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.motorsportsanalytics.com/glossary.html" target="_blank">glossary of terms</a>&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.motorsportsanalytics.com/" target="_blank">MotorsportsAnalytics.com</a>.</p>
<p>
<br />
<span style="color:#000080;"><span style="font-size: 18px; "><strong>3.7 and 0.6</strong></span></span> Brad Keselowski is averaging a 3.7-place finish, grouped with a strong 0.6 finish deviation.</p>
<p>
Holy Keselowski! The Penske Racing No. 2 team is really, really good right now. The act of them being good isn’t a shock; the extent of their goodness is what is amazing. Through three races, the championship-winning entry from 2012 has amassed a 3.7-place average finish. How legitimate is that? Their 0.6 finish deviation — and mind you, zero is perfectly consistent — tells us the team isn’t wavering much from that average. Keselowski and team are both staggeringly fast <em>and</em> pinpoint consistent. If the champs want to repeat, they’re off to a blazing start.</p>
<p>
<br />
<span style="color:#000080;"><strong><span style="font-size: 18px; ">-42.1 percent </span></strong></span>&nbsp; Jeff Gordon and team can’t hold onto positions late in races, suggested by their negative-42.1 percent position retainment difference.</p>
<p>
What is going on with the No. 24? Averaging a 12.7-place running position at the 10 percent-to-go mark, a precipitous drop occurs in the final stages of races, in which they average an 18th-place finish. Gordon and crew chief Alan Gustafson were more balanced position retainers last year, with a plus-3.4 percent difference. Races like last weekend at Las Vegas, in which they dropped from 21st to a finish of 25th in the final 27 laps, can’t be tolerated for a team hoping to land a Chase spot.</p>
<p>
<br />
<span style="color:#000080;"><span style="font-size: 18px; "><strong>17.0</strong></span></span> &nbsp;Thanks to a 17.0-place average finish, Paul Menard is the highest ranked Richard Childress Racing driver in the Cup Series standings.</p>
<p>
Who would have thought? It’s true. After three races, Menard and team are the lead dogs in the RCR yard, ranking 12th in Cup Series standings; however, that’s probably not something that will last. Both Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton crashed out of Daytona, while Menard’s team has finished in the top half of the field in all three events. Harvick’s No. 29 team doesn’t often leave races on the table, evident by the team’s 88-plus Relevance percentage (read: percentage of races in a season finished in the top half of fields) in each of the last three years.<br />
</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-68 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Miscellaneous:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/nascar">NASCAR</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/bristol">Bristol</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/stats">Stats</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/david-smith">David Smith</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-66 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">NASCAR Drivers:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/denny-hamlin">Denny Hamlin</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/paul-menard">Paul Menard</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/brad-keselowski">Brad Keselowski</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/joey-logano">Joey Logano</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/brian-vickers">Brian Vickers</a></div></div></div>Tue, 12 Mar 2013 22:49:14 +0000Athlon Sports20512 at http://athlonsports.comBackseat Drivers Fan Councilhttp://athlonsports.com/nascar/backseat-drivers-fan-council-24
<div class="field field-name-field-template field-type-list-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Two Right Sidebar Images</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-teaser field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">&lt;p&gt;
Dustin Long&#039;s Backseat Drivers Fan Council talks all-things Bristol and weighs in on which wild card drives will make the NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase for the Championship.&lt;/p&gt;
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">The changes to Bristol may not have worked quite how track officials imagined, but most members of the Backseat Drivers Fan Council liked what they saw there last weekend. Is it enough to get them back to the track? You might find those responses interesting. Also, Fan Council members updated their selection on who they think will get the wild card spots in the final two races before the Chase.</span></p>
<p>
<br />
<span style="color:#000080;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14px; ">Grade Saturday’s Cup race at Bristol</span></strong></span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>49.7 percent</strong> called it <strong>Great</strong><br />
<strong>40.6 percent</strong> called it <strong>Good</strong><br />
<strong>7.0 percent</strong> called it <strong>Fair</strong><br />
<strong>2.7 percent</strong> called it <strong>Poor</strong></span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;"><em>What Fan Council members said:</em><br />
• I LOVED this race. Passing, crashing, sliding, cussing and even helmet throwing!! What's not to love? To me the best part is seeing so many different drivers up front (Vickers, Ambrose, etc.) as well as a lot of favorites. The fact that they all stay so close and race so close makes it very exciting. Enough yellows to keep them even more bunched up … it was just a really fun race to watch. I know the drivers hated the track, but man it was fun to watch!!</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• I was opposed to the recent changes at Bristol, but I have to admit, it made for good racing. They struck a good balance of bumping and banging and racing.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• They fixed Bristol for the fans, ruined it for the drivers. LOVE IT!!!</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• I was at the race and it exceeded my expectations!</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• Finally! An exciting race at Bristol again. Absolutely loved it. The surprise that the top groove was the one that came in and proved fastest; the beating and banging; the emotion; pit, fuel and tire strategy all coming in to play. Seriously, if you didn't like this why are you even watching racing? It had everything.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• Don't like to watch wreckfests! That was AWFUL!</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• If you did not think that Bristol was the best race of the year then perhaps you should switch the channel to ESPN3 and watch bowling for your excitement because clearly NASCAR is not for you.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• I was there and loved every minute of it. Not bad considering I left the same race with 150 to go last year.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• The changes Bruton made did exactly what I had hoped they would do. I was hoping for a hybrid between “Old” Bristol and “New” Bristol. The “New-New” Bristol had the side-by-side, rubbing, beating &amp; banging with some tempers flying without the massive 12-car wrecks. No more conveyor belt! That is what we got! Tony throwing his helmet was just a bonus. I miss helmet (or heat shields if you are Ward Burton) throwing, and pointing to a driver you happen to be displeased with. I paid more attention to this race than any other this season! It's BRISTOL BABY!!!</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• Not exactly the Bristol of old but pretty close to it! Good racing, lots of action — just out and out fun. Of course, Tony Stewart bringing back the helmet toss certainly didn't hurt and he wasn't the only one showing some temper. Good racing, good fun.</span></p>
<p>
<br />
<span style="color:#000080;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14px; ">Did the Bristol race make you want to attend a race there more?</span></strong></span></p>
<p>
<strong><span style="font-size:14px;">54.4 percent said Yes<br />
45.6 percent said No</span></strong></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;"><em>What Fan Council members said:</em><br />
• Been a season ticket holder for eight years, but never have I been more excited about renewing!</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• 25-year season ticket holder and will never return!</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• I gave up my season tickets two years ago, but after (Saturday) night, I will be getting them back.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• I'm still boycotting Bruton Smith's tracks after the I-71 parking lot.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• I've always wanted to go to Bristol's night race and Saturday night made me want to go even more. I will be working on plans to hopefully go next year!</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• No, in fact. I was a season ticket holder and will not be renewing my tickets. I can see a demolition derby anytime I want to at the local fairgrounds.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• Used to attend Bristol until my school district decided to change the starting date. Too early in the year to take time off, but I might have to reconsider next year.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• Hearing about all the gouging of the fans on hotel rates will keep me away from this track.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• Absolutely! From the atmosphere during pre-race on through the race, it seems like an exciting and fun place to be. Lord willing, I WILL be there next year.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• I've made the trip to Bristol twice, once for "original Bristol,” once for progressive-banking Bristol. My personal preference was the progressive banking, and since that's now gone and likely not to return, I doubt I'll pay the airfare and outrageous hotel bills to go watch another race there live.</span></p>
<p>
<br />
<span style="color:#000080;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14px; ">What was the best race at Bristol last weekend?</span></strong></span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>84.4 percent</strong> said the <strong>Cup</strong> race<br />
<strong>11.7 percent </strong>said the <strong>Nationwide</strong> race<br />
<strong>3.9 percent </strong>said the <strong>Truck</strong> race</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;"><em>What Fan Council members said:</em><br />
• The Truck Race was just awful, and the Nationwide race was pretty boring. So the Cup race wins by default.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• I thought all three races were pretty good — even the Truck race where Peters led every lap. More of the racing from the Cup race sticks out in my mind, so that's why I picked the Cup race as the best race of the weekend.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• The Whelen Modified race was the best race at Bristol last week. It was awesome! The battles, the passing, the surprises. It was virtually non-stop action and kept me on the edge of my seat until the end.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• I watched all three races and hands down the Cup race was the best. It was one of the most entertaining races I have seen in a long time. It had everything. Top entertaining moment has to go to Tony and Matt. Think Tony will be nominated for one of his own Stewie Awards this year for throwing his helmet at Matt's car.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• Usually I have to say the Trucks have the better racing of the three series, but this week I will say the Cup racing was the best. The racing was great all night long and never really had a dull moment. I'm usually always checking Twitter during the Cup races, but this race, I didn't want to stop watching the TV. Was really exciting for a change.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• I picked the Nationwide race because Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick had a long battle for the lead ... and maybe I have lower expectations of the Nationwide drivers so the multitude of cautions in that race didn't bother me so much.</span></p>
<p>
<br />
<span style="color:#000080;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14px; ">Who will make the Chase via wild card?</span></strong></span></p>
<p>
<strong><span style="font-size:14px;">89.2 percent said Kasey Kahne<br />
47.6 percent said Kyle Busch<br />
34.8 percent said Jeff Gordon<br />
9.8 percent said Carl Edwards<br />
4.7 percent said Ryan Newman<br />
4.4 percent said Marcos Ambrose<br />
1.7 percent said Joey Logano<br />
0.3 percent said Paul Menard</span></strong></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;"><em>What Fan Council members said:</em><br />
• I see Gordon and Kahne getting in just for the fact that they are HMS. Hendrick is bringing everything to the table these next two weeks. Everyone else on this list is a long shot in my opinion.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• I'd love for a surprise driver to grab a wild card spot such as Joey Logano or Marcos Ambrose, but I think Kasey and Kyle will hold on to take the wild card spots.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• Kahne is easy to call. Second driver is harder. I really think Kahne will pass Stewart for 10th and Stewart will be 11th. But you didn't give me that choice. So I'm giving it to you.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• Kasey is not only a lock but may well get into the top 10 (on points). Carl's luck cannot keep being this bad can it? Roush has always run well at Atlanta generally and Carl specifically, so I have a feeling he wins Atlanta and outscores Kyle in points over the last two races for the last spot.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• If the trends continue the way they are now, I think Tony Stewart falls out of the top 10 and Kasey Kahne makes the Chase on points. Stewart and Kyle Busch will be the wild cards for the Chase. Hopefully Stewart can focus on his own championship, and his threats don't come to fruition, which could in turn costs Kenseth a shot at a championship.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• I say Kasey and Kyle. I know that Carl Edwards is capable of doing it if he gets one win, but they really haven't been close to being competitive in any race this year.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• Poor strategies in two races recently have cost Carl. He seems to be missing opportunities to move into the top 10 by bad pit calls.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• I picked Kasey Kahne and Kyle Busch as of right now but I really think it’s going to be Tony Stewart and Busch getting the wild cards. Kahne is fast right now and Tony isn’t doing as well. Kasey closed the gap from 33 points to 16 (Saturday) with a wrecked racecar. I say he makes the top 10.</span></p>
<p>
<br />
<em><span style="font-size:14px;">The Backseat Drivers Fan Council was founded and is administered by Dustin Long. Fans can join by sending Dustin an email at dustinlong002@gmail.com. </span></em></p>
<p>
<em><span style="font-size:14px;">Please include the following information:<br />
Name, city, state, Twitter name, e-mail address and favorite driver.<br />
&nbsp;</span></em></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-68 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Miscellaneous:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/nascar">NASCAR</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/bristol">Bristol</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/chase-sprint-cup">Chase for the Sprint Cup</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/wild-cards">wild cards</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-66 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">NASCAR Drivers:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/kyle-busch">Kyle Busch</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/jeff-gordon">Jeff Gordon</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/tony-stewart">Tony Stewart</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/ryan-newman">Ryan Newman</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/kasey-kahne">Kasey Kahne</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/paul-menard">Paul Menard</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/matt-kenseth">Matt Kenseth</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/marcos-ambrose">Marcos Ambrose</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/joey-logano">Joey Logano</a></div></div></div>Wed, 29 Aug 2012 21:49:12 +0000Matt Taliaferro12102 at http://athlonsports.comNASCAR News & Notes of the Weekhttp://athlonsports.com/nascar/nascar-news-notes-week-3
<div class="field field-name-field-template field-type-list-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Two Right Sidebar Images</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-teaser field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">&lt;p&gt;
Athlon Sports contributor Dustin Long takes a spin around the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this week with Greg Biffle, Dale Earnahrdt Jr., Tony Stewart and Martin Truex Jr.&lt;/p&gt;
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">Greg Biffle credits an aggressive approach with his team’s return to the points lead and says once NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup starts, there won’t be any backing down.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">Biffle regained the points lead after his victory at Michigan and held it despite finishing 19th last weekend at Bristol. That finish was good enough to clinch a Chase spot and return him to NASCAR’s playoffs after missing it last year.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">Biffle has three finishes of sixth or better in the last five races, including the Michigan win and a third-place finish at Indianapolis. He notes that with his team comfortably in the playoffs, they could try more things and, often, the experiments have worked.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">“We have been decent in the points so we have kind of tried to step out of the box and do some things to try and learn for the Chase and really be more aggressive with the setup and go for the win and say, ‘Hey, if it doesn’t work we won’t cry over spilled milk,’” says Biffle,&nbsp;who led the points after 11 races earlier in the season. “That is all you can do. You can’t flip a switch. We are already running as hard as we can.”</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">Once the Chase begins, Biffle says little will change on how the team races.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">“I think we will be and we will have to be pretty aggressive on the setups simply for the fact that we will have to be conscious of our finishes,” he notes. “That is going to be a huge factor, but it is almost like if it isn’t broke don’t fix it. What we are doing is working. We are having consistent races so we are only going to be six points ahead of about half the guys in the Chase (after the points are reset). We are only going to be three behind, as of right now, four of them. That could change this weekend but it is going to be really tight in the points.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">“That 12-20 point cushion (on the top four) I have is all going to disappear and it is going to be really super tight on the points. Each position is super-important. I think everybody realizes that going to Chicago.”</span></p>
<p>
<br />
<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>CHASE-CLINCHING SCENARIOS</strong> &nbsp; Greg Biffle, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Matt Kenseth clinched Chase spots last weekend at Bristol. Kenseth clinched only a wild card spot. He can clinch a full Chase spot (and thus use the bonus points for his win) by finishing 40th at Atlanta, finishing 41st and leading a lap or finishing 42nd and leading the most laps.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">Any driver who leaves Atlanta 49 points ahead of 11th place in the points clinches a Chase spot.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">Other Chase-clinching scenarios are:</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• Martin Truex Jr: Finish 14th or place 15th and lead a lap or finish 16th and lead the most laps.<br />
• Clint Bowyer: Finish 11th or place 12th and lead a lap or finish 13th and lead the most laps.<br />
• Brad Keselowski: Finish seventh or place eighth and lead a lap or finish ninth and lead the most laps.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">A victory would secure at least a wild card spot for Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick or Tony Stewart. They would need help from others to clinch a top-10 Chase spot at Atlanta.</span></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-68 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Miscellaneous:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/nascar">NASCAR</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/bristol">Bristol</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/dustin-long">Dustin Long</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/chase-scenarios">Chase scenarios</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-66 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">NASCAR Drivers:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/kyle-busch">Kyle Busch</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/dale-earnhardt-jr">Dale Earnhardt Jr.</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/tony-stewart">Tony Stewart</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/greg-biffle">Greg Biffle</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/martin-truex-jr">Martin Truex Jr.</a></div></div></div>Tue, 28 Aug 2012 23:13:16 +0000Matt Taliaferro12081 at http://athlonsports.comPennell’s Picks: Fantasy NASCAR Trends at Bristolhttp://athlonsports.com/nascar/pennell%E2%80%99s-picks-fantasy-nascar-trends-bristol
<div class="field field-name-field-template field-type-list-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Two Right Sidebar Images</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-teaser field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">&lt;p&gt;
Athlon Sports contributor Jay Pennell looks at favorites and darkhorses for Saturday&#039;s Bristol Night Race NASCAR Sprint Cup event at Bristol Motor Speedway.&lt;/p&gt;
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">The Race for the Chase is heating up and after two weeks of late-race drama the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Thunder Valley for the Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">When the series hits the high-banks, it will be on a much different racing surface than the drivers have been accustomed to over the past few seasons. After the 2007 reconfiguration of the track, progressive banking was added in the corners, allowing for multiple grooves and two- and three-wide racing.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">The racing on the new configuration was exciting and competitive, however many fans bemoaned the changes and called for a return to the Bristol of old. While it may have been the changes to the track, a lagging economy, or a host of other reasons, attendance fell from 160,000 in August 2007 to 102,000 earlier this year.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">Listening to the fans, Speedway Motorsports, Inc.'s Bruton Smith took measures into his own hands and altered the track layout for the second time in six years. By grinding down the top racing groove, Smith hopes to create the style of racing Bristol was synonymous with when the grandstands were full and there was a waiting list for tickets.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">Yet for many of the drivers, the change to Bristol is an unwelcome sight. Making changes based solely off the opinion of fans, Smith did not consult the competitors before taking away the top groove, boasting, "I do not consult race drivers when I am building a speedway."</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">After a painstaking process of removing embanked concrete intended to last “15 to 18 years,” according to track general manager Jerry Caldwell, Goodyear brought in <strong>Tony Stewart</strong>, <strong>Jeff Burton</strong> and <strong>Clint Bowyer</strong> for a two-day tire test of the new configuration.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">Each of the drivers confirmed the field would be unable to race around the top groove, forcing drivers to fight for space on the bottom of the track.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">“The drivers aren’t going to be happy, but the spectators probably will be because it is going to put more cars in a closer space,” Burton said following the June tire test. “By taking away that groove, it is going to change your mind about going up there. I think it is going to be two grooves, unless Goodyear brings a tire with a lot of grip. If that is the case, you’ll want to run around the bottom. Making the groove smaller is a good thing, it is going to put the action back to the bottom and middle of the track.”</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">So, now that the track has changed, what can you expect for your fantasy outlook?</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">Well, I wouldn’t stray far from the statistics — new Bristol or old. While the groove may have changed, the drivers that excel at Bristol will continue to do so this weekend under the lights.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">To find the hottest driver at BMS the past two events, look no further than the man that has finished second the last two weeks: <strong>Brad Keselowski</strong>. The Penske Racing driver is the defending race winner, went to Victory Lane in dominant fashion here in March and is looking for his fourth win of the 2012 season.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">Currently fifth in the Sprint Cup standings, Keselowski is tied with former champions Stewart and<strong> Jimmie Johnson</strong>&nbsp;with the most wins on the season. A win Saturday night would not only mean a sweep of the year's Bristol races, but would also move Keselowski into the top seed heading into the Chase.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">In March, Keselowski dominated the final race on the multi-groove surface, leading 232 of the 500 laps. In the past two weeks, the No. 2 car has been in contention for the win, losing out by only a slight margin to <strong>Marcos Ambrose</strong> at Watkins Glen and <strong>Greg Biffle</strong> at Michigan.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">Since his victory in Kentucky seven races ago, Keselowski has five top 5s and seven top 10s. So obviously, this team has been on a roll as of late — and that roll should continue right through the mountains of East Tennessee. With confidence on his side and the team gunning for another win or two before the Chase, it is hard to bet against Keselowski Saturday night under the lights.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">Much like last weekend, if Keselowski wants to end up in Victory Lane, he will have to beat Johnson. Looking as if he was on his way to his fourth victory of the season last week at Michigan, a blown motor in the final laps resulted in a frustrating 27th-place finish.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">A former winner at Bristol, Johnson is always a threat on the high-speed short track. In his last seven races at BMS, the five-time champion has one win, four top 5s and six top 10s.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">While Keselowski took advantage of Johnson's issues last Sunday, it was <strong>Kyle Busch</strong> who lost the win late in the race two weeks ago in Watkins Glen. Currently 14th in the standings, Busch is third in the Chase wild card hunt behind <strong>Kasey Kahne</strong> and <strong>Ryan Newman</strong>. While the past few months have been more than frustrating for the driver of the No. 18 Toyota (only three top 10s in the last 11 races), there could be no better track for Busch than Bristol to get back into contention.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">With the second-best average finish (10.6), Busch has five wins at Bristol, including four of the last seven races. With time running out before the Chase cut-off, Busch will need to get up on the wheel and get the job done.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">Admittedly off at Bristol since his March 2011 win, he and crew chief <strong>Dave Rogers</strong> will have to dial the car in to the new configuration without over-thinking the setup, as they have done in the past.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">Also consider last week's winner (and current points leader) Biffle, as well as fan favorite <strong>Dale Earnhardt Jr.</strong> for your lineup Saturday night. Both have been extremely strong as of late and have run well at Bristol in the past. </span></p>
<p>
<em><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Five Favorites:</strong> Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Greg Biffle&nbsp;</span></em></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-68 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Miscellaneous:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/bristol">Bristol</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/fantasy-nascar-tips">Fantasy NASCAR tips</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-66 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">NASCAR Drivers:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/kyle-busch">Kyle Busch</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/dale-earnhardt-jr">Dale Earnhardt Jr.</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/jeff-gordon">Jeff Gordon</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/jimmie-johnson">Jimmie Johnson</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/clint-bowyer">Clint Bowyer</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/carl-edwards">Carl Edwards</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/jeff-burton">Jeff Burton</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/greg-biffle">Greg Biffle</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/juan-pablo-montoya">Juan Pablo Montoya</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/martin-truex-jr">Martin Truex Jr.</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/jamie-mcmurray">Jamie McMurray</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/brad-keselowski">Brad Keselowski</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/marcos-ambrose">Marcos Ambrose</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/joey-logano">Joey Logano</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/brian-vickers">Brian Vickers</a></div></div></div>Thu, 23 Aug 2012 16:21:59 +0000Matt Taliaferro11995 at http://athlonsports.comNASCAR News & Notes of the Weekhttp://athlonsports.com/nascar/nascar-news-notes-week-2
<div class="field field-name-field-template field-type-list-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Two Right Sidebar Images</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-teaser field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">&lt;p&gt;
Athlon Sports contributor Dustin Long takes a lap around the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit. The &quot;new&quot; Bristol, 2013 schedule and Danica in the Cup Series highlights the news of the week.&lt;/p&gt;
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">One theme is consistent among competitors as NASCAR returns to Bristol Motor Speedway for the first time since track changes intended to create tighter racing.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">“I just hope that they didn’t screw it up,” points leader Greg Biffle says.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">“I just hope they didn’t screw up the race track,” Ryan Newman says.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">“Nobody really knows what is going to happen,” Jimmie Johnson says.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">After lackluster attendance in the spring and complaints by fans about the lack of action, track officials narrowed the groove to force cars to run closer together and create that door-banging excitement some fans said was lacking.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">“I think it is going to be exciting either way,” Biffle says. “I heard they ground the corner more down the straightaway so that when you come up off the corner you will go across that patch coming on to the straightaway, which may be difficult to go from the bottom groove. They carried it around maybe further than it needed to be, but we will have to wait and see when we get there how the race track drives now. I hope it is good.”</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">Newman is worried what type of racing drivers will see.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">“I hope they didn’t take the racing away,” he says. “The beating, banging and crashing is not the racing that I like. That’s what some of the fans enjoy, but that’s not the racing I like. I like being able to run side-by-side. The problem we had the tire just didn’t allow us to be able to fall off so the first five laps of the run were like the last five, 120 (laps) later. Your car didn’t fall off, your balance didn’t change, and everybody was virtually the same speed.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">“To me, the tires are the biggest issue when it comes to a place like that.”</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">Goodyear did a tire test this summer. Cup teams will use a different left-side tire than in the spring race. The right-side tires will remain the same version run in the spring.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">“I’m more interested in the changes done to the tire compound than anything else,” says Brad Keselowski, who has won the past two Bristol Cup races. “I think that’ll be the bigger key to the puzzle and we’ll just have to see how that unfolds. Obviously, I’m going to run all three series Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and if there’s a difference in the track I should be the first to know.”</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">The Camping World Truck Series races Wednesday night at Bristol with the Nationwide race Friday night and the Cup race Saturday night.</span></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-68 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Miscellaneous:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/nascar">NASCAR</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/bristol">Bristol</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/2013-cup-schedule">2013 Cup schedule</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-66 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">NASCAR Drivers:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/tony-stewart">Tony Stewart</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/ryan-newman">Ryan Newman</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/greg-biffle">Greg Biffle</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/brad-keselowski">Brad Keselowski</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/danica-patrick">Danica Patrick</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/aaron-fike">Aaron Fike</a></div></div></div>Tue, 21 Aug 2012 20:36:55 +0000Matt Taliaferro11965 at http://athlonsports.comBackseat Drivers Fan Councilhttp://athlonsports.com/nascar/backseat-drivers-fan-council-5
<div class="field field-name-field-template field-type-list-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Two Right Sidebar Images</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-teaser field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">&lt;p&gt;
The Backseat Drivers Fan Council weighs in on the confusiong finish at Richmond, debris cautions, changes at Bristol and Travis Pastrana&#039;s impact on NASCAR.&lt;/p&gt;
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>
<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>Confusion in Richmond, Changes at Bristol and Pastrana’s Impact</strong></span></p>
<p>
<br />
<em><span style="font-size:14px;">NASCAR officiating, Bristol’s changes and the debut of Travis Pastrana. It was quite a week for the sport and created a lot of topics for members of the Backseat Drivers Fan Council to debate.</span></em></p>
<p>
<em><span style="font-size:14px;">With so much to discuss, no need to delay things. Here’s a look at how NASCAR fans saw these issues:</span></em></p>
<p>
<br />
<span style="color:#000080;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>WAS THE DEBRIS CAUTION LEGITIMATE LATE IN THE RICHMOND RACE?</strong></span></span></span><br />
<em><span style="font-size:14px;">NASCAR called a debris caution with 13 laps left in Saturday night’s Cup race at Richmond with Tony Stewart leading. Stewart said the debris was a water bottle. MRN announcer Dave Moody tweeted that he saw a “big hunka metal” on the track. TV did not show the debris. Fan Council members were asked if they thought the caution was legitimate.</span></em></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>65.7</strong> percent said <strong>Yes</strong><br />
<strong>34.3</strong> percent said <strong>No</strong></span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;"><em>What Fan Council members said:</em><br />
• Well I can’t say it was legitimate, but I did see them pick something up. It was right in front of where my seats were.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• I have listened to the NASCAR Officials Channel on SiriusXM enough to know that they do not throw phantom cautions and they are legit. If there is something out there, and especially if they cannot identify it, they will throw a caution.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• Absolutely not! Evidently NASCAR has brought in Vince McMahon as a consultant, and decided to add artificial drama to race(s) that needed none. It turned a great race, that Tony Stewart had earned the win of, into a tire-changing contest. Let the racers race!</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• I have to trust NASCAR, but this is easily avoidable — SHOW THE DEBRIS. We don't have to trust officials in other sports because foul balls are shown to be foul, touchdowns are shown to be touchdowns. Just show the debris, and all is solved.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• Since the fans have been complaining and the press has picked it up about no drama we had plenty of it at RIR. Jeff Burton tweeted “it looked like a can to me. It was on the exit of 2 it was about 1/3 up the track.” And Matt (Yocum of FOX) tweeted “robin p told me on the plane last pm that it was a can not water bottle. Mid turn 2 like u said MkJ” And from what others said it had been there for a bit and Carl was the one screaming about it the loudest.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• NASCAR has been VERY good about not tossing out phantom cautions this season — I think that there is no reason to not believe them.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• Phantom cautions are a problem in NASCAR. There is no reason why the reason for the caution can’t be shown to us. It should be mandatory.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• This is unbelievable. One week fans are complaining about lack of cautions and NASCAR needs to do something. This week they are calling the caution bogus.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• With all of the HDTV cameras, why can't the race producer show us the debris for every caution? They could show us the GEICO roof camera during the GEICO side-by-side commercial and the 5-Hour roof camera during that side-by-side commercial. They show us the replays for a wreck from these roof cameras, why can’t they try to help NASCAR be legitimate and show the debris?</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• If David Hoots says "Put it out,” it's legitimate enough for me.</span></p>
<p>
<br />
<span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="color:#000080;"><strong>DID NASCAR MAKE THE RIGHT CALL IN PENALIZING EDWARDS FOR HIS RESTART?</strong></span><br />
<em>With less than 100 laps left in Saturday’s race, NASCAR penalized Carl Edwards for jumping the restart and passing leader Tony Stewart too soon. It happened as there was some confusion with Edwards’ team if he was the leader or not. Fan Council members were asked if NASCAR made the right call to penalize Edwards for jumping the restart.</em></span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>75.0</strong> percent said <strong>Yes</strong><br />
<strong>25.0</strong> percent said <strong>No</strong></span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;"><em>What Fan Council members said:</em><br />
• I really don’t see the debate here. From the replay it showed that Carl jumped the restart before the restart box. Even IF he was the leader, he still jumped the restart. NASCAR made the right call. I don't see why everybody is so up in arms about it, because that's always been the rule, regardless. End of story.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• If he jumped the restart, and there is a penalty for the infraction, then YES. Having said that, I think a black flag is a stupid penalty for that infraction. Just wave it off and make them do it again. That is WAY too harsh.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• Absolutely not!!!! I was at the race and listening to his channel, his spotter came over the radio and told Carl NASCAR said 99 is the leader, and the scoring tower called him the leader. There was obviously confusion so why didn't NASCAR call off the (re)start and get it fixed like they have done a million times before? Tony spun the tires bad, and Carl simply got a great restart like he had done all night. I think NASCAR just made themselves look terrible Saturday with two bad calls, and the only explanation was basically “sorry bout your luck.”</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• Once again, I believe in NASCAR and its integrity … though I will say that in that particular situation it would have made sense to go one more lap under yellow to make sure there was no confusion.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• Clear as day. He jumped the start.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• Tony clearly spun his tires on the restart. That was a bad call.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• It was blatant. Props to NASCAR for having restart lines visible on the wall, this was a black and white call to me, no gray area.</span></p>
<p>
<br />
<span style="color:#000080;"><strong><span style="font-size:14px;">GRADING SATURDAY NIGHT’S CUP RACE AT RICHMOND</span></strong></span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>55.6</strong> percent called it <strong>Good</strong><br />
<strong>23.0</strong> percent called it <strong>Great</strong><br />
<strong>16.7</strong> percent called it <strong>Fair</strong><br />
<strong>4.8</strong> percent called it <strong>Poor</strong></span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;"><em>What Fan Council members said:</em><br />
• Loved it. I’m so glad I blew off my Saturday night plans to stay home and watch TV.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• NASCAR has a HUGE problem on their hands. I’ve been critical all year of the boring (nature) of the racing, and after seeing this race in person I gotta say it’s not the drivers being too cautious, it’s the fact that they don't get a chance to be aggressive. There is not much passing, there is nobody charging up through the field, and I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s all in the car. The dictatorship of NASCAR has to loosen up the rules a bit. Every car is the same, therefore they just get strung out and basically run a fast-paced parade. If NASCAR doesn’t make some changes real quick, they are going to dig a hole that will take years to recover from.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• The Jimmie Johnson pit crew penalty, Carl Edwards jumping the restart and Tony Stewart’s debris caution added needed drama to this race. Without these three events, it would have been a rather dull race overall. Short track racing is always better than the 1.5- and 2-miles tracks. This Richmond race did have some long green-flag runs, but short tracks always have active racing because 43 cards don’t get spread out well at a 3/4 mile track. The restarts were some of the best moments of the race, including the last restart with about 10 laps to go.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• I saw more passing this week; some interesting pit road incidents (!) and penalties that spiced up the situation.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• For all the people that say it is boring, these past few weeks have been for the most part about how well the teams can make the best changes and compete in mostly green-flag racing. THAT is what racing is all about to me.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• Boring. I was there and it was boring. Restarts were the only exciting parts and I'm only giving a “good” rating for them.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• Another solid good race, not spectacular but kept my attention throughout.</span></p>
<p>
<br />
<span style="color:#000080;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>YOU GOING TO BUY BRISTOL TICKETS AFTER THE CHANGES TO THE TRACK?</strong></span></span><br />
<em><span style="font-size:14px;">Last week Bruton Smith announced plans to grind Bristol’s top groove to take away the advantage of that line. He said it also will narrow the groove, forcing the cars to run closer together, which could lead to the beating and banging often associated with racing there. The move was made after a decline in attendance for the spring race. Fan council members were asked if this was enough to make them want to buy tickets to the August night race there.</span></em></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>81.6</strong> percent said <strong>No</strong><br />
<strong>18.4</strong> percent said <strong>Yes</strong></span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;"><em>What Fan Council member said:</em><br />
• I am going regardless.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• Hoping it makes a difference … Will wait to get tickets again though until next season though.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• Actually, I’m skipping the Bristol race this year. I really didn’t find anything wrong with the racing as it was but with the economy as it is right now I’m just going to see what happens with this one.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• I like the progressive-banked Bristol because I’d rather see guys run side-by-side for 75 laps without hitting each other instead of just plowing in the back of someone to pass. Not a fan of Keselowski or Kenseth but their battle in March was epic.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• Hey Mr. Smith, instead of grinding the top groove to “help” bring fans to Bristol. How about giving $50 gas cards to those that purchase a ticket from the BMS ticket office. In addition, the hotels that increase their rates race weekend, how about pay the difference so the race fans pay the normal rates? Because the bottom line, Mr. Smith, (is) “we the race fans DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY” with the increased cost of living.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• BMS was on my bucket list, so I am going no matter what — I am very anxious to see what happens under the lights in August!</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• This is going to help bring back the racing we all love so much there! Can't wait to see Bristol back to being the special place that it's always known to be! Go Bruton!</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">• The racing at Bristol was fine as it was. I’m not going to get more interested in any particular race because of a gimmick.</span></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-68 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Miscellaneous:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/nascar">NASCAR</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/bristol">Bristol</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/richmond">Richmond</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/bruton-smith">Bruton Smith</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/dustin-long">Dustin Long</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/backseat-drivers-fan-council">Backseat Drivers Fan Council</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/debris-caution">debris caution</a></div></div></div>Wed, 02 May 2012 14:58:06 +0000Matt Taliaferro9883 at http://athlonsports.comDenny's Win, Bruton's Bristol Plan and Junior's Genealogyhttp://athlonsports.com/nascar/dennys-win-brutons-bristol-plan-and-juniors-geneology-0
<div class="field field-name-field-template field-type-list-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Two Right Sidebar Images</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-teaser field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">&lt;p&gt;
Following Denny Hamlin&#039;s win at Kansas Speedway, Athlon Sports contributor Dustin Long takes a spin around the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.&lt;/p&gt;
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">If Denny Hamlin can win races now, it makes one wonder what he’ll do later this season as the communication with new crew chief Darian Grubb improves and Grubb puts more of his stamp on the team’s cars being built.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">Hamlin is one of only two drivers with multiple wins this season after eight races (Tony Stewart is the other) and Hamlin could be the first driver to win three races this season with the series heading to Richmond this weekend. He has won two of the last five races at his hometown track.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">Even with the success, Hamlin has had his ups and downs. He won at Phoenix and Kansas but finished 20th at Las Vegas and Bristol. Since Bristol, he’s not finished worse than 12th. That’s helped Hamlin climb to fifth in the points.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">“It's hard to analyze your program by a one-week performance,’’ Hamlin said after his Kansas victory, the 19th of his career. “You look at it in the grand scheme of things. (At Texas) on a mile-and-a-half (mile track), we went almost a lap down, but we ... hung around 10th place for most of the day.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">“I'm not going to analyze and say that everything is good, we just need to make 10 race cars just like this one and we'll be fine.&nbsp;There's always things, areas that you need to work in.&nbsp;We feel like we've identified those areas and we've gone to work on them. So right now I feel like we're bringing better race cars to the race track than what we have, and it's still going to take time. There's still things that myself and Darian need to work on with communication, things like that, but he's still working within Joe Gibbs Racing trying to get cars that he feels like can be better to the race track, and all that stuff takes time.&nbsp;You just can't do it&nbsp;— it's a big process now.’’</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">Says Grubb: “My confidence in Denny's feedback is getting better and better. I know when to take what he says with what inflection in his voice, what it means.’’</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">This also has been an adjustment period for Grubb in how things are done at Joe Gibbs Racing after moving over from Stewart-Haas Racing. That also takes time.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">“The technology is drastically different between the organizations, so the actual lessons you learn and things, it's probably more the style of working and being able to manage people and get the best out of the people that are there,’’ Grubb said. “Now that I'm at Joe Gibbs Racing I'm starting to learn those personalities and what I can get out of them.’’</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">This team will be worth watching as the season progresses.</span></p>
<p>
<br />
<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>NEW LOOK</strong> &nbsp;Bruton Smith, Speedway Motorsports, Inc. Chairman and CEO, is scheduled to announce Wednesday his plans for changing the track surface at Bristol. The work will be completed before the August race and is in reaction to fan complaints about the racing there.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">Bristol will mark the fourth track this year that will have a new surface, joining Michigan, Pocono and Kansas. Work on Kansas’ track began after Sunday’s race. Since 2010, six of the 23 tracks that host at least one Cup race will have had new surfaces by the time the series races at Kansas in October. Phoenix was reconfigured and repaved last year and Daytona was repaved in time for last year’s Daytona 500 after a pothole delayed the 2010 race.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">Jeff Gordon says that in some cases, the track is not as much the problem, especially Bristol.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">“The drivers love it,’’ Gordon said. “It’s a great racetrack I think.&nbsp;I thought they made huge improvements.&nbsp;Now we hear they want to go back to the old way.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">“Tracks are getting too much of the blame or even credit sometimes.&nbsp;This car for the last five or six years has sort of put Goodyear, the tracks, everything into a different box.&nbsp;I’m looking forward to the 2013 car, but I look forward to cars down the road to sort of take some of the things in this car that are in there we can’t take out. It will help the racing; things that are going to help Goodyear to make it better tire that is more suitable for the car.’’</span></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-68 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Miscellaneous:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/nascar">NASCAR</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/bristol">Bristol</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/bruton-smith">Bruton Smith</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/dustin-long">Dustin Long</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/darian-grubb">Darian Grubb</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-66 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">NASCAR Drivers:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/michael-waltrip">Michael Waltrip</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/kyle-busch">Kyle Busch</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/dale-earnhardt-jr">Dale Earnhardt Jr.</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/jeff-gordon">Jeff Gordon</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/denny-hamlin">Denny Hamlin</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/jeff-burton">Jeff Burton</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/tony-stewart">Tony Stewart</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/joey-logano">Joey Logano</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/aric-almirola">Aric Almirola</a></div></div></div>Tue, 24 Apr 2012 21:03:07 +0000Matt Taliaferro9683 at http://athlonsports.comWaiting on Bruton's Bristol Plan and a Return to "The Rock"http://athlonsports.com/nascar/waiting-brutons-bristol-and-return-rock
<div class="field field-name-field-template field-type-list-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Two Right Sidebar Images</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-teaser field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">&lt;p&gt;
Following a rare off week, Athlon Sports contributor Dustin Long takes a spin around the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.&lt;/p&gt;
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>
<span style="font-size:16px;"><strong>THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT</strong></span></p>
<p>
<em><span style="font-size:14px;">by Dustin Long</span></em></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">Everybody is waiting.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">It’s been nearly two weeks since Bruton Smith said that he would order changes to Bristol Motor Speedway’s track surface after a sharp decline in attendance for the spring race and an increase in fan complaints about the racing. Yet Smith has yet to announce what those changes will be made before NASCAR returns to the half-mile track in a little more than four months.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">“I think it would be incredible if they paved the track asphalt,’‘ Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. “I am not sure if that would work out but it would be awesome to try it.’’</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">Any changes to Bristol’s surface before the August race will mean the Cup Series will race at four tracks that have been changed since last season. Kansas Speedway is set to be repaved after its race later this month. Michigan has been repaved and drivers nearly topped 215 mph at a recent Goodyear tire test there. Pocono Raceway also has been repaved and has Goodyear tire test scheduled for April 24-25.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">While some drivers are thrilled that Smith will change Bristol — count Kevin Harvick among that group who says, “It’s about time,’’ — Denny Hamlin wonders if the tires should be changed for Bristol instead of the track.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">“If you look at Bristol, it had the least amount of fall off of any tire that we had during this year,’’ Hamlin said. “I think you start off around 16.40 fast time (seconds per lap) and you ended 100 laps later running 16.90s. That's just not enough fall off.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">“You have to have overtaking and to have overtaking, you have to have cars that are running faster than others.&nbsp;If you look at any point during a Bristol race, everyone's running the same exact speed and you're not going to have any overtaking. You're not going to have any wrecks because no one's running close to each other to wreck.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">“Back in the day when people used to lap the whole field and no one complained about the racing, it's because overtaking was happening. Cars were getting passed. You could watch your guy move from 15th to wherever up to the front. Now, it's like he's got to make all the room, all the space up in the first five laps of a restart and then he sits there for the rest of the run. That's because we don't have enough fall-off.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">“It's a tough job to make a tire that does that and will live and ultimately not put our safety at risk of blowing tires. Really, Goodyear has made tires that are idiot proof now. We can't abuse them enough to blow them out. That's why you don't see the passing that we used to have."</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">Even with Smith’s declaration of change, as Carl Edwards notes, it doesn’t guarantee that things will be better.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">“The thing that makes me nervous for Bruton and those guys is to spend all this money to change something and then it may not yield the result that you want,’’ Edwards said. “I think that’s the risk they take, but Bruton Smith seems like he doesn’t mind taking risks and going for it.&nbsp;If it works out like most things he does, it’ll probably work, but I give him a ton of credit for saying he’s gonna change this and make an adjustment.’’</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">It’s just a matter of what Smith will do.</span></p>
<p>
<br />
<span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>BACK AT ROCKINGHAM</strong> &nbsp; It’s not often that you see NASCAR return to a venue it left, but the Camping World Truck Series will compete Sunday at Rockingham Speedway. It marks the return of NASCAR since the Cup series last raced there in Feb. 2004.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">NASCAR is back because of the work of track owner Andy Hillenburg, a former racer. He’s spent the money to update the facilities and add SAFER barriers to the track.</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">Now it’s up to the fans to determine if NASCAR returns to Rockingham after this race. If attendance is strong and shows potential, then maybe a Nationwide race can be added at some point. Just don’t expect the Cup Series to return there. With Cup races in Darlington, Charlotte, Martinsville and Bristol, the region has enough Cup events.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">If that’s not good enough, then fans have to ask themselves if they would rather see some NASCAR racing at the track or see as much NASCAR racing as there is at North Wilkesboro?</span></p>
<p>
<span style="font-size:14px;">NASCAR is giving the track and fans a second chance. Will fans take NASCAR up on it and show that the track deserves more races?</span></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-68 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Miscellaneous:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/nascar">NASCAR</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/rockingham-speedway">Rockingham Speedway</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/bristol">Bristol</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/texas-motor-speedway">Texas Motor Speedway</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/bruton-smith">Bruton Smith</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/miscellaneous/andy-hillenburg">Andy Hillenburg</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-66 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">NASCAR Drivers:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/kyle-busch">Kyle Busch</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/dale-earnhardt-jr">Dale Earnhardt Jr.</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/jeff-gordon">Jeff Gordon</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/denny-hamlin">Denny Hamlin</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/kevin-harvick">Kevin Harvick</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/carl-edwards">Carl Edwards</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/jeff-burton">Jeff Burton</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/nascar-drivers/kurt-busch">Kurt Busch</a></div></div></div>Tue, 10 Apr 2012 20:33:32 +0000Matt Taliaferro9537 at http://athlonsports.com